Method of treating fibers



July 9, 1963 c. J. RUSSO ETAL METHOD OF TREATING FIBERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Original Filed Dec.

o k w mmww U 6 e s M i m M Y 7 4; A 4 R. J 1 m2 H 5 M F: R M K H w L m Am) 3 1H a M mu m an a an m a a 2 a v.

y 1963 c. J. Russo ETAL METHOD OF TREATING FIBERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Original Filed Dec. 21, 1959 m s s z W Q A. #1 y /L W M c H A LEXANDE'RL TIQ/F'Z/A/OV/C D? Y/A/Gr.

0e mva 8 (MP/#6 (OND/T/O/V G y 1963 c. J. RUSSO ETAL 3,

METHOD OF TREATING FIBERS Original Filed Dec. 21, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3July 9, 1963 c. .1. RUSSO ETAL METHOD OF TREATING FIBERS 4 Sheets-Sheet4 Original Filed Dec. 21, 1959 United States Patent 3,096,562 METHOD OFTREATING FIBERS Carl J. Russo, Brookside Park, Newark, and Alexander L.Trifunovic, Wilmington, DeL, and Henry A. Sinski, Alden, CliftonHeights, Pa., assignors to Joseph Bancroft & Sons Co., Wilmington, Del.,a corporation of Delaware Original application Dec. 21, 1959, Ser. No.861,001, now Patent No. 2,997,747, dated Aug. 29, 1961. Divided and thisapplication Jan. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 83,508

2 Claims. (Cl. 2875) This invention relates to a method and apparatusfor crimping, packaging and treating textile fibers and has for anobject to provide a method and apparatus of the above type having noveland improved characteristics.

The nature of the invention will be better understood from the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in whicha specific embodiment has been shown for purposes of illustration.

'In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section illustrating an apparatus according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a partial horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical section taken on the line '33 of FIG. 1; 1

FIG. 4 is .a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an elevation of a completed package with parts broken away toshow the interior;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating representative steps in thetreating process; 7

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of an apparatus for unwinding the packagewith parts broken away to show the structure; and a FIG. 8 is a sectiontaken on the lines 8--8 of FIG. 7.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the invention is shown asembodied in a stuffer crimper comprising a base plate 1 carrying aheating and crimping block 2 having a bore in which a sleeve 3 is fixedas by a press fit. A crimping tube 4 is held in the sleeve 3- by aclamping nut 5 on the lower tapered, split end 6 of the sleeve 3. Asource of heat, such as a resistance rod 7 is held in a bore in theblock 2 parallel to the tube 4. A pair of feed rolls 10 and 11 arepositioned to feed the tibers into the lower end of the tube 4 to befolded over and crimped against the pressure of a mass of previouslycrirnped fibers held compacted in the tube 4. The feed roll 10 ismounted on a shafit 12 which is journalled to rotate in a bearing 13supported by the block 2. The feed roll 11 is mounted on a shaft 14carried in a pivoted bracket 15 carried by the block 2 and having an arm16 pressed by a spring 17 to hold the roll 11 in feeding engagement withthe roll 10. The rolls 10 and .11 are driven by gears 18 to operate inunison. The shaft 12 is driven by a drive motor not shown, preferablythrough a constant torque clutch so that a constant pressure ismaintained on the fibers as they are fed into and crimped in thecrimping chamber in the tube 4.

In the form shown, the fibers 20 are fed between rolls 21 into apretreating tank .22, thence through the tank 22 and between rolls 23into :a heater or dryer 24. Thence through a tension device 25 and aguide 26 to the bite of the feed rolls .10 and 11. p

The upper end of the tube 4 is formed with a rounded top surface 30 andextends through a central flange 31 in a block 32 carried by the block2. A feed tube 33 3,096,562 Patented July 9, 1963 2 surface 38 of theflange 31 so as to allow the tube 33 to pivot about the upper end of thetube 4 for the purpose to be described.

The upper end of the tube 3-3 is formed with an arcuate surface 39 tolay the core of crimped fibers 40 which is discharged therefrom insuccessive convolutions on a package 41. The discharge end of the tube33 is held against the package 41 by a spring 27 connected by eyes 28and 29 to blocks 35 and 32, respectively.

The package 41 is shown as wound on a perforated tube 42 of the typeused for package dyeing. The tube 42 is mounted on a sleeve 43 which isslidably mounted on a shaft 44 and is keyed thereto by a key 45. Theshaft 44 is driven from a gear box 46 through a constant torque clutchof any standard type. A cam 47 driven by the gear box 46 actuates atraversing slide 48 which is connected to reciprocate the sleeve 43 forlaying the core 40 in successive convolutions and in successive layerson the tube 42. The gear box may be driven by a suitable motor.

A tape 50 is held on a reel 51 mounted on a bracket 52 attached to thebase plate 1. The tape 50' is fed through the forked end 53 of -apivoted arm 54 to a feed roll 55 having a roughened surface, thencearound a pin 56 and over a lever 57 pivoted to the bracket 52 and over aguide roll 58 mounted on a bracket 59 carried by the feed tube 33 under'a guide roll 60 mounted on the bracket 59 adjacent the discharge end ofthe tube 33 to lay the tape 50 over the core 40 of crimped fibers asthey are fed from the end of the tube 33 onto the package 41. The lever57 carries an arm 61 which is positioned to actuate a nricroswitch 62,which is connected to control the operation of the entire machine. Aconstant speed motor 63 drives the roll 55. The end 64 of the lever 57is provided with a surface 65 which is adapted to hold the tape 50 ingripping engagement with the feed roll 55.

In winding the package 41 a sock 66 is placed over the tube 42 and alayer of the tape 50 is wrapped therearound. As the core 40 isdischarged from the end of the tube 38 beneath the tape 50 it is heldcompacted in its original cross section by the pressure of the tape "asit is wound in successive convolutions and successive layers on theperforated tube 42 until a package of the desired size has been builtup. The feed of the tape is controlled by the feed roll 55 which isactuated by the drive motor 63.

In operation the mass of crirnped fibers is discharged from the end ofthe 'feed tube 33 in the form of a core having the same cross section asthe tubes 4 and 3 3 and is in effect stufled into the space between thetape 50 and the previous layer of winding where it is held in compactedform without any chance to open up or relax its crimped form. It isconfined on the package 41 between tapes 50 in the form of a pluralityof convolutions in several layers with the core of crimped fibers inadjacent convolutions bound and separated by the interveningconvolutions of tape.

After the package has been wound to the desired size the winding isstopped, the package removed from the sleeve 43 while still on the tube42 and the sock 66 is turned over the package from both ends to form aconfining cover as shown in FIG. 5. This package is then of the size andform adapted for treatment in the usual package dyeing apparatus. 7

The microswitch 62 is adapted to stop the machine including the variousdrive motors and heating elements in response to a breakage or runningout of tape 50. When the end of the tape passes the lever 57 the leveris released to release the microswitch 62 and thereby stop the machine.

In'order to permit the machine to be started up, for

example, for warming the crimping chamber prior to the actual beginningof the crimping operations, the lever 53 is raised from the feed roll 55thereby permitting the feed roll to turn without feeding the tape. Thelever 53may be held in this position by engagement with thelever 57 andthus causes the lever 57 to maintain the switch 62 closed during thiswarm up period.

The packing of the core in the winding is determined by the rate of feedof the tape 50 with respect to the feed of the drive rolls 1 11. Theseelements may be driven at a constant but adjustable ratio or the teedrolls 1% and 11 may be driven through a constant torque clutch in whichevent the rate of feed is controlled by the back pressure on the fibersdue to the tension of the tape 50 as it is wound on the package 41. Thetape 56 envelops the end of the tube 33 in a suificiently close mannerto control the back pressure exerted on the mass of crimped fiberswithin the tubes 4 and 33. The pressure exerted on the fibers may thusbe controlled by varying the rate of feed of the tube 50 or the relativespeed of the tape feed with relation to the feed rolls 10, 11.

For processing, a plurality of packages 41 of crimped fibers are stackedon perforated tubes in a dye vat which may be closed to permit atreating liquid or vapor such as steam or wash water or hot air as thecase may be to be forced through the package from the inside to theoutside or vice versa depending upon the particular treatment stepinvolved. The packages may then be dried or excess treating liquidremoved in a centrifuge or the packages may be placed in an oven for thefinal drying or curing step. If the package is to be treated underpressure as by steam or by heated air for drying, the packages may bplaced in an autoclave. In any event the fibers on the perforated tube42 are pervious and readily treated by known techniques.

The process may be applied to natural fibers such as Wool or cotton inthe form of a roving, or to silk in twisted or untwisted form, or tocontinuous filament synthetic fibers in the form of a tow or in the formof a yarn. In the case of Wool the roving may be pres'oftened by hotwater or steam in the tank 22 and dried to a predetermined moisturecontent in the dryer 24, then crimped in the stuffer crimper and thepackage subjected to steam treatment or to hot water and dried in anoven or autoclave to set the crimp While the fibers are held compactedin the package. In the case of cotton or synthetic cellulosic fiberssuch as rayon or acetate the fibers may be pretreated by 'heat andmoisture as above, crimped and packaged, then subjected to heat andmoisture under pressure and dried to set the crimp. Alternatively, thecellulosic fibers may be impregnated with a thermosetting resin in thetank 22, partially dried in the dryer 24, crimped and packaged as above,and the package dried to resin curing temperature in an oven. As afurther example the cellulosic fibers may be crimped and packaged, thepackage impregnated by a resin and catalyst, then centrifuged to removeexcess impregnant, cured in an oven, washed and dried.

Other synthetic fibers may be preheated for softening, crimped,packaged, subjected to heat and moisture in a closed vessel, and driedin an oven. In all of these cases it is possible to utilize a treatingcycle of several minutes or even hours regardless of the speed ofoperation of the crimping apparatus.

After treatment the fibers may be removed from the package and processedinto yarn in the usual manner. In the case of staple fibers such as woolor cotton the package is unwound, the core removed and the fibers openedup for spinning. In the case of continuous filaments the tape may beunwound to expose the core and the tow or yarn pulled from the core asit is exposed and wound onto a cone or otherwise packaged for furtheruse. This may be effected by hand or by the unwinding and packagingapparatus shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, to be described.

FIG. 6, for example, illustrates a process which involves first passinga treating solution through the package, then drying, then applying animpregnating agent, extracting the excess impregnating agent as bycentrifuging, then drying and curing as in a heating oven for settingthe impregnant, followed by conditioning the yarn a by the applicationof sizing and then rewinding.

Cellulosic yarns whether spun or filament should have a moisture contentapproximating their natural moisture content at 65% relative humidityand 70 F. before entering the crimper. If the moisture is appreciablybelow the natural moisture content the fibers are too brittle. If themoisture is more than about 2 /2 times the natural moisture, the fiberstend to stick to the walls of the crimper.

All fibers except those that melt below about 212 F. may be used in theprocess. This would include most of the thermoplastic fibers and all ofthe cellulosics such as cotton, regenerated cellulose rayon, linen,ramie, jute, etc.

In the case of cellulosics it is necessary to treat the fibers so as tomake the artificial crimp durable to washing and/ or dry cleaning.

Following are various examples of the sequence of stops which may beused in carrying out the invention for cellulosic fibers.

(1) The yarns may be treated with a crimp fixative and partially driedbefore entering the crimping chamber, then crimped, packaged, cured inthe package, and finally unwound.

(2) The yarns may be crimped, packaged, treated with the crimp fixativein the package, cured in the package and finally unwound.

As the crimp fixative a few of the many materials that can be used aredimethylol ureas, di or tri-methylol melamines, methylated methylolureas, methylated methylol melamines, dimethylol ethylene ureas,dimethylol propylene-ureas, dimethylol triazones, formaldehydes, etc.

Water to 10,000 parts.

200 denier 2 S twist 44 filament viscose rayon is Wound on a Franklintype dye spring. Several suoh packages are placed in a dye packagemachine and impregnated with the above solution by pumping the solutionfrom the inside to the outside for 15 minutes, followed by pumping thesolution from the outside to the inside for 15 minutes.

The packages are then extracted for 6 minutes in a centrifugal extractorso that the yarn retains about 64% of the impregnating solution, thatis, 1 lb. of the yarn contains about 0.64 lbs. of the impregnatingsolution.

After extraction the yarn is dried to about 17% moisture in an oven withcirculating air at about 210 F.

The impregnated yarns are then crimped using a heated core type crimperas described above to form a core which is wound onto a Davidson typespring using 1 inch cotton tape. The cotton [tape has a greigeconstruction 56 x 44 176 yds./lb.

The packaged yarn is cured in a heated atmosphere at about 260 F. forabout 30 minutes. After curingYhe crimped yarn is unwound and oiled ifnecessary. The yarn is then ready for knitting.

Example II 200 denier 3 S twist 4O filament viscose rayon yarn iscrimped in the heated crimping chamber as described above at 320yds./min. entering speed and wound on Franklin type springs using 1%inch cotton tape at 26 inch/min. Several packages of the crimped yarn onthe Franklin type springs are placed in a packaged-ye unit and treatedwith the following crimp fixative.

Parts Methylated methylol melamine (80% solids) 2496 Magnesium chloridehexahydrate (70% solids) 780 Wetting agent I 32 Diluted to 26,000 partswith water.

Example III 300 denier S twist 60 filaments blue viscose rayon isprocessed as in Example II to give a durable crimp that is fast towashing and dry cleaning.

Example IV 200 denier 2 /2 8 twist 44 filaments bright filament viscoseyarn is treated as in Example 11 except that the following mix is usedto fix the crimp.

Parts Dimethylol ethylene urea (50% solids) 1875 Zinc nitratehexahydrate (70% solids) 240 Acetic acid 75% 24 Polyvinyl alcohol 75Glycerine 420 Wetting agent 16 Diluted to =1-3,000 parts with water.

The crimp is durable to Washing and dry cleaning after being made into aknitted or woven fabric.

Example V 30 S bleached cotton yarn is handled as in Example I exceptthat the following crimp fixative is used in place of the one in ExampleI;

26 S bleached cotton yarn is impregnated with the following mixture:

Parts Formaldehyde 200 Zinc nitrate hexa-hydr-ate (70%) 10 Wetting agent1 Diluted to 1,000 parts with water.

by running the yarn into a tank containing the mixture, the yarn thengoes between squeeze rollers to remove the excess solution. Theimpregnated yarn is dried to about 10% moisture by passing it through achamber heated to about 220 F. The partially dried yarn is then crimpedas described above and wound onto the core packages. The core package isheated for about 40 minutes by passing air heated to 250 F. through thepackage from the outside in. The cured package is allowed to cool andcondition before rewinding onto a cone. An oil is applied to the yarnduring this rewinding to facilitate knitting.

A crimp durable to washing and dry cleaning is ob tained.

Example VII Example I is repeated except that the package of crimpedyarn is cured for 25 minutes in an autoclave where the steam pressureinside the autoclave is 45-50 lbs. A durable crimp is obtained.

Example VIII Example II is repeated except that the following mixturewas used:

Parts Methylated methylolmelamine solids) 950 Magnesium chloridehexahydrate 210 Wetting agent 10 Water Isopropyl alcohol is added tomake 10,000 parts. A durable cr-imp is obtained.

Example IX Example II is repeated except that a linen yarn is used. Adurable crimped yarn is obtained.

Example X Silk yarn, either spun staple or continuous filament may bepresoftened by a light treatment with steam or hot water, crimped in thestuffer crimper at a temperature not exceeding about F., packaged andsubjected to heat and moisture for example steam or hot water orsubjected to a heated dye liquid for dyeing after which the excessliquid may be extracted and the package dried for setting the crimp.

The pretreatment may be omitted in some instances and if desired thecrimped silk core package may be impregnated with a thermosetting resinwhich may be dried and cured as in the previous examples.

Example XI Nylon yarn in continuous filament form may be hot crimped inthe stufier crimper as above set forth, packaged and treated with a dyesolution which may be passed through the package preferably while heatedafter which the excess liquid may be extracted and the package heated bythe passage of hot air therethrough or by oven drying to dry the yarnand set the crimp therein.

Example XII v The above treatment with or without the resin settingaccording to the results desired may be repeated for W001 fibers and forother synthetic fibers such'as acrylic, modacrylic, polyesters,ni-trilic, vinyl and olefinic fibers, and Vinyon, Orlon, Dacron andSaran.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 the package 41 is shown as placed on aspindle 70' for unwinding.

A friction washer 71 puts the necessary drag on the package during theunwinding operation. The tape 50 passes from the package 41 through apigtail guide 72 thence over a tension control device 73 which smoothsout the tape for reeling, thence onto a reel 74 driven by a motor 75.

The yarn 76 from the package 41 is fed through guides 77 and 78 thencethrough an eye 79, carried by an arm 80 projecting through a slot *81 ina housing 8 2 and connected to actuate an arm 84 pivoted at 85 andadapted to actuate a micro-switch 86. The arm 84 carries at its endweights 87 which are adjustable for controlling the tension of the yarn76. The yarn 76 passes from the eye 79 to a fixed guide 88, and to atake-up device such as a constant speed winder (not shown) where it isWound onto a cone or spool to form a yarn package of the usual type.

The micro-switch 86 is connected to control the operation of the motor75 so as to exert a pull on the tape when the tension on the yarnincreases and to stop the motor 75 when the tension on the yarndecreases. In this way a substantially constant quantity of yarn ismaintained at the discharge point at the bite of the tape 50 on thepackage 41. As more yarn is pulled from the package the discharge pointrecedes into the area held compacted by the tape 50 which increases thedrag on the yarn 76. This increased ten-sion closes the micro- 7 switchmomentarily and causes the motor 75 to pull the tape and thus turn thepackage to advance a further quantity of the core to the dischargepoint. This operation continues until the entire quantity of yarn hasbeen withdrawn from the package and wound onto a cone or other form ofpackage.

The above described method and apparatus is particularly suitable forimparting a permanent crimp to silk fibers and to acrylic, modacrylic,nitrilic, vinyl and olefinic fibers to produce therefrom a continuousfilament yarn having saw toothed type crirnps which are permanently settherein these fibers require a more extended treatment for the settingof the crimp than can be obtained in the usual stuffer crimper. The corepackage of the present application permits these fibers to be subjectedto a setting treatment for the period of time required for imparting apermanent set to the crimp so that the bulk effect produced in the yarnremains throughout the useful life of theyarn, and is resistant to theusual cleaning and pressing steps to which the yarn or fabric orgarments fabricated therefrom may be subjected.

This application is a division of co-pending application Serial No.861,001 now Patent No. 2,997,747 filed December 21, 1959.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of treating cellulosic fibers which comprises impregnatingsaid fibers with a thermosctting resin, partially drying said resin,crimping said fibers to form a continuous core of crimped fibers,winding said core together with a pervious tape in successiveconvolutions on a pervious support to form a core package, subjectingsaid core package to a temperature to cure said resin, progressivelyremoving the tape from said package to expose the core and extractingthe treated yarn from said core as it becomes exposed.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 in which said cellulosic fibers areselected from the group consisting of natural vegetable fibers andregenerated ccllulosic fibers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,854,701 Rainard Oct. 7, 1958 3,000,059 Russo et a1 Sept. 19, 1961FOREIGN PATENTS 316,685 Switzerland Dec. 15, 1956

1. THE METHOD OF TREATING CELLULOSIC FIBERS WHICH COMPRISES IMPREGNATINGSAID FIBERS WITH A THERMOSETTING RESIN, PARTIALLY DRYING SAID RESIN,CRIMPING SAID FIBERS TO FORM A CONTINUOUS CORE OF CRIMPED FIBERS,WINDING SAID CORE TOGETHER WITH A PREVIOUS TAPE IN SUCCESSIVECONVOLUTIONS ON A PERVIOUS SUPPORT TO FORM A CORE PACKAGE, SUBJECTINGSAID CORE PACKAGE TO A TEMPERATURE TO CURE SAID RESIN, PROGRESSIVELYREMOVING THE TAPE FROM SAID PACKAGE TO